Prison Phone Disputes at a Glance

Published 7:00 pm, Saturday, March 29, 2003

_California: State Public Utilities Commission in 2001 ordered MCI to repay $522,458 for overcharging on collect phone calls made by prisoners.

_Georgia: State Public Utilities Commission last year ordered WorldCom to lower its rates after inmate families complained they were too high.

_New Hampshire: State Supreme Court last year dismissed a lawsuit against prison telephone companies that alleged monopoly and consumer fraud.

_New Mexico: State Supreme Court last year dismissed inmate relatives' lawsuits over high costs of collect calls from prison.

_New York: Inmates' families sued in federal and state courts; cases or appeals pending. Private company that offered remote call forwarding petitioning the Federal Communications Commission over New York state policy.

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States where action taken to reduce costs:

_Indiana: After lawmakers heard complaints from inmates' families, the state cut the costs for prison calls in half.

_New Mexico: Law passed in 2001 requires that "services to be awarded on lowest reasonable rates."